Sabah Mazood H00330049

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL

SCIENCES

B58EE – MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

SCIENCE 5

THERMODYNAMICS

Name : Sabah Mazood

Heriot – Watt ID: H00330049
Course Title : Boys’ Gas Calorimeter – Lab Long Report
Date of Submission: 22 October 2019
Group: F
Sabah Mazood H00330049

Contents

Summary - 1

Introduction - 1

Objectives - 1

Theory - 2-3

Equipment Used - 3

Procedure - 4

Results and Calculations - 5-7

Discussion -

Conclusion -

References
Sabah Mazood H00330049

SUMMARY
The Boys’ Gas Calorimeter experiment was performed at the Mechanical
Engineering Laboratory to find the calorific value of Liquefied Petroleum
Gas using the Boys’ Calorimeter. Two sets of reading as taken with
maximum precaution, where some values were constant while some varied
in each set of readings.

INTRODUCTION
Calorimetry is the science in which values of changes in the system are
measured to derive the heat transfer associated with the change under
some specific conditions. This act is performed in devices called
calorimeters. Calorimeters are generally of four types – heat flow, heat
balance, constant flux and power compensation calorimeters.

Calorific Value (CV) is the amount of heat that is released when

combusting a unit volume of gas. Its unit is 𝑘𝐽/𝑚3 . Calorific values are
broadly two, Higher/Gross Calorific Value (HCV/GCV) and Lower Calorific
Value (LCV).
HCV is the amount of heat released from combusting a fuel where the
vapors of water are allowed to condense. LCV is the amount of heat
liberated from combusting where the vapors remain in the vapor phase.
The device used is a Boys’ Gas Calorimeter, which is named after English
physicist Sir Charles Boys.

OBJECTIVE

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Sabah Mazood H00330049

THEORY

Most of the values are not given in SI units, so certain conversions are
required.

Change of volume (from dm3 to litres):

𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑔𝑎𝑠 × 2
100
Pressure (bar to Pa):
𝑃𝑏𝑎𝑟 × 105
Temperature (C to K):
𝑇𝐶 + 273.15
Volume (from ft3 to m3):

3
𝑓𝑡 3
𝑚 =
35.315

Gauge Pressure = 𝜌𝑔ℎ

Absolute Pressure = Gauge Pressure + Atmospheric Pressure

Corrected Volume
𝑉1 𝑇1
=
𝑉2 𝑇2
𝑉2 𝑇1
𝑉1 =
𝑇2
𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
Volume flow rate =
60

Mass of Water = 𝜌𝑉

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Sabah Mazood H00330049

Latent Heat (Q) = 𝑚(𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠) × 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 (𝑙)

(𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟)×(𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦)×(𝑇𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟)

HCV =
(𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 (𝑎𝑡 1 𝑏𝑎𝑟 15 𝐶))

(𝐻𝐶𝑉 − 𝐿𝐶𝑉) × 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙

= 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 × 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐻2 𝑂

EQUIPMENT USED
1. Boys’ Gas Calorimeter
2. Thermometers
3. Manometer
4. Gas meter
5. Gas Regulator
6. Stopwatch
7. Water Circuit

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Sabah Mazood H00330049

PROCEDURE

1. Arrange the equipment as shown in the diagram

2. Detach the top portion of the calorimeter from the base. Open gas flow
and light up the burner.
3. Carefully and slowly place the top portion of the calorimeter back with
the base and wait for the setup to heat up.
4. Once the gas meter starts moving, pick a dial and start the stopwatch.
5. Move the water change over pipe from waste water to water collecting
cylinder an ensure water flows through the pipe to the beaker.
6. Record the time for a certain number of divisions on the gas meter.
Note: Gas meter increases speed as temperature inside the calorimeter rises

7. At the end of the time interval, note all the readings on each of the
equipment.
8. Take 2 readings of the same and note down in the table.
9. Using all the readings, calculate HCV

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Sabah Mazood H00330049

RESULTS
Test - 1 Ambient Temp – 24C
Ambient Pressure- 1.013 bar
Parameter Value Unit Value(SI) Unit
Gas
Volume of Gas 1/120 cubic feet 0.000236 m3
Gauge Pressure 3 mbar 300 Pa
Absolute Pressure 1.016 bar 101600 Pa
Inlet Temperature 24 C 297.15 K
Exhaust Temperature 24.5 C 297.65 K
Elapsed Time 1:30.57 min:sec.ms 90.57 sec
Corrected Volume 8.068x10-3 ft3 2.28x10-4 m3
(15C 1 bar)
Volume flow/sec 8.91x10-5 ft3/sec 2.519x10-6 m3/sec
(15C 1 bar)

Cooling Water
Volume of Coolant 200 ml 0.0002 m3
Elapsed time 0:52.38 min:sec.ms 52.38 sec
Mass collected 0.1976 kg
Mass flow/sec 3.77x10-3 kg/sec
Temp. in 23 C 296.15 K
Temp. out 40 C 313.15 K
Specific Heat Capacity 4187 J/kgK
Heat Transferred/sec 268.34 J/sec

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Sabah Mazood H00330049

Test - 2 Ambient Temp – 24C

Ambient Pressure- 1.013 bar
Parameter Value Unit Value(SI) Unit
Gas
Volume of Gas 1/120 cubic feet 2.36x10-4 m3
Gauge Pressure 4 mbar 400 Pa
Absolute Pressure 1.017 bar 101700 Pa
Inlet Temperature 24 C 297.15 K
Exhaust Temperature 26.5 C 299.65 K
Elapsed Time 0:22.94 min:sec.ms 22.94 sec
Corrected Volume 0.0087 ft3 2.462x104 m3
(15C 1 bar)
Volume flow/sec 0.000379 ft3/sec 1.07257x10-5 m3/sec
(15C 1 bar)

Cooling Water
Volume of Coolant 200 ml 2x10-4 m3
Elapsed time 0:40.56 min:sec.ms 40.56 sec
Mass collected 0.195 kg
Mass flow/sec 4.81x10-3 kg/sec
Temp. in 24 C 297.15 K
Temp. out 69 C 342.15 K
Specific Heat Capacity 4187 J/kgK
Heat Transferred/sec 906.28 J/sec

Calculations:
For Test 1:
𝑄 𝑚
= ∆𝑇
𝑠 𝑠
= (3.77x10-3) x (4187) x (17) = 268.34 J/sec
(𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟)×(𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦)×(𝑇𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟)
HCV =
(𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 (𝑎𝑡 1 𝑏𝑎𝑟 15 𝐶))
0.1976×4187×17
= = 61.68 MJ/m3
2.28×10−4

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Sabah Mazood H00330049

For Test 2:
𝑄 𝑚
= ∆𝑇
𝑠 𝑠
= 4.81x10-3 x 4187 x 45 = 906.28 J/sec
(𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟)×(𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦)×(𝑇𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟)
HCV =
(𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 (𝑎𝑡 1 𝑏𝑎𝑟 15 𝐶))
0.195×4187×45
= = 149.23 MJ/m3
2.462×10−4

DISCUSSION

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